Rivera faces felony charges under Leandra’s Law
SLINGERLANDS – Bethlehem police observed a 2014 Nissan Altima speeding on Cherry Avenue Extension on New Year’s Eve and conducted a traffic stop on New Scotland Road after the vehicle abruptly slowed down, lacked functioning plate lamps, and was swerving.
According to reports, at 8:32 p.m. near the intersection with Maher Road, officers observed the driver, Analis Rivera, 26, of Albany, struggling to speak without slurring. Her eyes appeared glassy and bloodshot, and the officer detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from inside the vehicle.
There was an adult passenger in the front seat and four young children in the back seat who were not in appropriate safety restraints.
Rivera failed field sobriety tests and refused to provide a breath sample on a pre-screening device. She was taken into custody for driving while intoxicated.
At the police station, Rivera provided a breath sample that showed a blood alcohol content of 0.15 percent BAC. She was charged with DWI. Because all four children in the back seat were under the age of 16, the charge was elevated to aggravated DWI, a felony.
An inventory of the vehicle revealed an empty bottle of D’Ussé Cognac, which has a 40% alcohol content in each bottle. Officers also noted that the inspection sticker on the car did not match the vehicle.
The passenger took her two children and Rivera’s two children and hired an Uber to take them home.
Rivera was additionally charged with acting in a manner injurious to a child under 17, a misdemeanor. She was also ticketed for multiple violations: no lights, speeding, no inspection, refusal to take a breath test, no seat belt (over 16), no adequate restraint (under 4 years old), no adequate restraint (ages 4–7), and no adequate safety belt (ages 7–15).
She was released to a family member with an appearance ticket for Bethlehem Town Court on Jan. 7.
DWI
DELMAR – On Friday, Jan. 3, a Bethlehem police patrol unit with a license-plate reader, detected a Toyota Rav 4 had a suspended license and the officer performed a traffic stop to confirm the suspension.
According to reports, the registration was suspended because of an insurance lapse and while interviewing the driver, a 34-year-old Delmar man, the officer observed him to show signs of intoxication. The man had glassy eyes and had an odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath.
The man was given and failed field sobriety tests and tested positive for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device. He was taken into custody.
At the police station, he provided a breath sample that returned a 0.11 percent BAC. The man was charged with DWI and driving with a suspended registration, both misdemeanors.
He was released with an appearance ticket for Tuesday, Jan. 21 in Bethlehem Town Court.
Warrant
SELKIRK – Bethlehem police stopped a vehicle on River Road on Sunday, Jan. 5 at 7:16 p.m. for not having plate lights while driving on River Road.
A check of a passenger in the vehicle, Phillip Miller, 23, who is homeless, was found to have an outstanding warrant from Waterford. He was transported to meet officers from that department.
No license, registration, or insurance, but had pot
DELMAR – A stationary Bethlehem police patrol unit on Delaware Avenue observed a grey sedan that did not have a front license plate affixed on Saturday, Jan. 4, and performed a traffic stop.
According to reports, the driver, Naji Stratton, 26, of Albany, said that he did own the car but it was registered to his brother. The vehicle had a suspended registration for no insurance because it had been canceled in August.
Stratton had a suspended license for 14 scoffs on seven dates and also had an outstanding warrant from the Albany County Sheriff’s Office.
In addition to that, the officer observed a bag on the floor in front of the passenger seat with a large quantity of marijuana. A search of Stratton later would find more. The total was 256.83 grams, which is above what is allowed by law.
Stratton was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation and operating a vehicle with a suspended registration, both misdemeanors, and unlawful possession of cannabis, a violation, and ticketed for no lights, driving without a license and driving with no insurance.
He was issued tickets and an appearance ticket for Bethlehem Town Court on Tuesday, Jan. 21, and turned over to the Albany County Sheriff’s office for the warrant.
Felony DWI
SELKIRK – Bethlehem police responded to a report from a witness who was following a vehicle with a popped tire and the driver was potentially intoxicated near the area of Feura Bush Road and McCombe Drive on Tuesday, Jan. 7.
According to reports, at approximately 11:55 p.m., officers found a gray Buick parked partially on the road without its hazard lights on.
The witness and the driver of the vehicle, Shana Hopper, 40, of Selkirk were standing on the shoulder of the road outside the vehicle. The officer observed a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from Hopper’s breath and she had bloodshot and watery eyes and slurred speech. The right front rim was missing the tire.
The report said that Hopper initially told police that the witness was driving the vehicle, but later admitted that she was driving home from Applebee’s in East Greenbush to Selkirk. Police determined that the witness’s only involvement was observing Hopper.
Hopper admitted consuming three shots of vodka at Applebee’s and also had a container with a dark-colored liquid on the passenger seat floor that contained vodka. The officer also observed damage to the Buick.
Bethlehem dispatch also received an additional call about a tire in the roadway on Route 32 in the area of Elsmere Avenue. Hopper was given field sobriety tests and failed or refused to do them. She also tested positive for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device.
Hopper was taken into custody for DWI and provided a breath sample at the police station that returned a 0.21 percent BAC. An investigation found that Hopper had a prior conviction for DWI within 10 years.
She was charged with aggravated DWI-previous conviction, a felony, and aggravated DWI-BAC over .18, a misdemeanor, and ticketed for drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle, unsafe tires, and failing to use four-way flashers.
She was released with an appearance ticket for Bethlehem Town Court on January 21.
Warrant
DELMAR – Officers traveled to the Montgomery County jail on Tuesday, Jan. 7 to pick up a homeless man on a warrant for not showing up to court in December.
According to reports, Brian Lebron, 52, was arrested on December 30 at Stewarts on Delaware Avenue for allegedly taking drinks and food from the store.
He was arraigned by Bethlehem Town Judge Andrew Kirby and sent back to the Montgomery County jail.
Another arrest for
Slingerlands burglaries
SLINGERLANDS—Bethlehem police picked up a Schenectady man at the Schenectady County jail on Tuesday, Jan. 7, to face charges related to three break-ins in August.
According to reports, Johnson Gooden-Prunty, 30, was the second suspect in the case.
Olijajwuan W. Sheppard, 25, already turned himself in to Bethlehem police on Tuesday, Dec. 17, to face charges that he and Gooden-Prunty allegedly broke into properties on Mayfair Drive, Helderberg Parkway, and New Scotland Road. Stolen items included $500 in cash, a laptop, and credit cards, as well as an iPad traced to Troy via the “Find My” app. Bethlehem police linked Sheppard to the crimes after State Police arrested him and Gooden-Prunty during a separate burglary investigation on Saturday, Sept. 7.
In the Slingerlands cases, Sheppard and Gooden-Prunty face two counts of burglary, grand larceny (credit cards), and grand larceny in the fourth degree, all felonies. They face two counts of petit larceny, misdemeanors, and trespass, a violation. Sheppard was arraigned by Judge Theresa Egan and released on his own recognizance in December.
Gooden-Prunty was arraigned on January 7 and returned to the Schenectady County jail, where he is being held on other charges. He is scheduled to return to Bethlehem Town Court on March 4.